Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 21
The Lord’s Supervision of Embodiment: Fetal Development, Womb-Suffering, and the Jīva’s Prayer (Garbha-stuti) — and the Trap of Māyā
तस्मादहं विगतविक्लव उद्धरिष्य आत्मानमाशु तमस: सुहृदात्मनैव । भूयो यथा व्यसनमेतदनेकरन्ध्रं मा मे भविष्यदुपसादितविष्णुपाद: ॥ २१ ॥
tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava uddhariṣya ātmānam āśu tamasaḥ suhṛdātmanaiva bhūyo yathā vyasanam etad aneka-randhraṁ mā me bhaviṣyad upasādita-viṣṇu-pādaḥ
ஆகவே இனி நான் கலங்காமல், என் நண்பனான தெளிந்த சைதன்யத்தின் உதவியால் அறியாமையின் இருளிலிருந்து விரைவில் என்னை மீட்டுக் கொள்வேன். விஷ்ணுவின் தாமரைத் திருவடிகளை மனத்தில் நிலைநிறுத்தினால், பல கருப்பைகளில் மீண்டும் மீண்டும் பிறப்பு-இறப்பின் இந்தத் துயரத்தில் நான் விழமாட்டேன்.
The miseries of material existence begin from the very day when the spirit soul takes shelter in the ovum and sperm of the mother and father, they continue after he is born from the womb, and then they are further prolonged. We do not know where the suffering ends. It does not end, however, by one’s changing his body. The change of body is taking place at every moment, but that does not mean that we are improving from the fetal condition of life to a more comfortable condition. The best thing, therefore, is to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Here it is stated, upasādita-viṣṇu-pādaḥ. This means realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who is intelligent, by the grace of the Lord, and develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is successful in his life because simply by keeping himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be saved from the repetition of birth and death.
FAQs
This verse says one should give up weakness and swiftly uplift oneself from darkness by taking help of the Supreme Soul (Paramātmā), the true well-wisher, and by seeking shelter of Viṣṇu’s lotus feet.
It is the voice of the conditioned jīva (the soul in the womb) resolving to seek deliverance; the teaching is presented by Lord Kapila to Devahūti within Śukadeva Gosvāmī’s narration.
Make a firm daily resolve to reduce ignorance-driven habits and anchor life in bhakti—regular nāma-japa, sādhana, and remembrance of the Lord as the inner well-wisher—so repeated “many-doored” pitfalls don’t pull you back.